What is TextInputHost.exe? Complete Process Guide 2025

TextInputHost.exe is a legitimate Windows process responsible for text input functionality on your system. This essential component manages input from keyboards, touchscreens, and stylus pens, while also enabling emoji selection and other input features. While generally benign, the process can sometimes cause performance issues or system errors that require troubleshooting. This comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know about TextInputHost.exe, including how to resolve common problems.

What is TextInputHost.exe?

TextInputHost.exe is a legitimate Windows system process included in the Windows Feature Experience Pack. It serves a critical function by managing text input from various sources, including physical keyboards, virtual keyboards, touchscreens, and stylus pens. The process is particularly important for enabling special input features, such as emoji and GIF selection (accessible by pressing Windows key + period), and ensuring text entered through these various methods is correctly delivered to applications in Windows 10 and later operating systems.

As a background process, TextInputHost.exe typically operates invisibly to users, appearing only when checking Task Manager or other system monitoring tools. Under normal conditions, it consumes minimal system resources and functions seamlessly within the Windows environment. While technically possible to disable, doing so will render certain input features inoperable, potentially limiting your interaction with Windows applications.

Common TextInputHost.exe Issues and Troubleshooting

Despite being an essential Windows component, TextInputHost.exe can sometimes encounter problems that affect system performance or functionality. Users commonly report issues including system errors, process crashes, and excessive resource consumption, particularly GPU usage. Here’s how to address these problems effectively.

TextInputHost.exe System Error

TextInputHost.exe system errors typically manifest after system changes, such as Windows updates or system restores. These errors can be caused by corrupted system files, software conflicts, or incomplete update installations. To resolve these issues, try the following steps:

1. Check for Windows Updates: Microsoft regularly releases patches for known issues with system components. Ensuring your system is up-to-date may resolve the problem automatically:

• Open Settings (Windows key + I)
• Navigate to Update & Security (Windows 10) or Windows Update (Windows 11)
• Click “Check for updates” and install any available updates

2. Perform a System File Checker Scan: The SFC utility can identify and repair corrupted system files:

• Right-click the Start menu and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” or “Windows Terminal (Admin)”
• Type the command: sfc /scannow and press Enter
• Wait for the scan to complete (this may take several minutes)

TextInputHost.exe Crashing

Frequent crashes of TextInputHost.exe can significantly disrupt your Windows experience. These crashes may result from file corruption, driver conflicts, or incompatible third-party software. While a simple system restart may resolve temporary issues, persistent crashes require more thorough troubleshooting:

1. Use System File and Disk Repair Tools: If the SFC scan didn’t resolve the issue, try these additional repair commands in PowerShell (Administrator):

dism /online /cleanup-image /CheckHealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
chkdsk /f /r /b

Run these commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each line. The DISM commands repair the Windows component store, while CHKDSK scans and repairs disk errors that might be causing file corruption.

2. Perform a Clean Boot: Isolate the problem by temporarily disabling non-Microsoft services and startup programs:

• Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog
• Type msconfig and press Enter
• In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab
• Check “Hide all Microsoft services” and click “Disable All”
• Click Apply, then OK, and restart your computer

If the problem resolves after a clean boot, you can gradually re-enable services and startup items to identify the specific program causing the conflict. Once identified, consider updating or uninstalling the problematic software.

TextInputHost.exe High GPU Usage

One particularly frustrating issue is when TextInputHost.exe consumes excessive GPU resources, especially on laptops with NVIDIA graphics. This problem can significantly reduce battery life without obvious indications of heavy system load. While the exact cause varies between systems, there are several effective solutions:

1. Configure NVIDIA Graphics Settings:

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel
• Navigate to “Manage 3D settings” → “Global Settings”
• Set “Preferred graphics processor” to “Integrated Graphics”
• Apply changes and check if the problem resolves

If this fixes the issue, you can then set specific applications (like games) to use the NVIDIA GPU by configuring them individually in the “Program Settings” tab.

2. Use Windows Graphics Settings:

• Right-click on the desktop and select “Display settings”
• Scroll down and click “Graphics settings”
• Locate TextInputHost.exe by following these steps:
  • Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
  • Go to the Details tab
  • Find TextInputHost.exe, right-click it, and select “Open file location”
  • Copy the file path from the address bar in File Explorer
• In Graphics settings, click “Browse” and paste the copied path
• Select TextInputHost.exe and click “Add”
• Click on the added TextInputHost.exe entry, select “Options”
• Choose “Power saving” and click “Save”
• Restart your computer to apply the changes

How To Disable TextInputHost.exe (Not Recommended)

While we generally don’t recommend disabling TextInputHost.exe due to its importance for text input functionality, there may be situations where temporarily disabling it is necessary to diagnose problems or address persistent resource usage issues. If you decide to proceed, follow these steps with caution:

1. Disable the Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Service:

• Press the Windows key, type “services”, and open the Services app
• Scroll down to find “Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service”
• Right-click and select “Properties”
• On the General tab, change “Startup type” to “Disabled”
• Click “Apply” then “OK”
• Restart your computer

2. For Persistent Issues, Consider Renaming the File (Use with extreme caution):

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
• Find TextInputHost.exe, right-click it, and select “Open file location”
• Return to Task Manager, right-click TextInputHost.exe, and select “End task”
• In File Explorer, rename the TextInputHost.exe file (e.g., to “TextInputHost.exe.old”)

Be aware that disabling this process will impact various text input functions, including emoji selection and potentially touch keyboard functionality. It’s recommended to re-enable the service if you encounter any unexpected issues with text input.

Is TextInputHost.exe a Virus?

TextInputHost.exe is not a virus but a legitimate Windows system component developed and digitally signed by Microsoft. However, malware authors sometimes disguise their malicious programs by using names of legitimate Windows processes, including TextInputHost.exe. This technique is particularly common among cryptocurrency mining trojans and other stealthy malware.

To verify whether your TextInputHost.exe is legitimate, check these characteristics:

1. File Location

The genuine TextInputHost.exe file should only be located in one of these directories:

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\InputApp\
C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\

If you find TextInputHost.exe in any other location, especially in user directories or temporary folders, it may be suspicious.

2. Digital Signature

The legitimate TextInputHost.exe file is digitally signed by Microsoft. To check the digital signature:

• Right-click on TextInputHost.exe and select “Properties”
• Go to the “Digital Signatures” tab
• Verify that “Microsoft Windows” is listed as a signer
• Select the signature and click “Details”
• Confirm that the signature is valid

If you suspect your system is infected with malware masquerading as TextInputHost.exe, or if the process is exhibiting unusual behavior, it’s advisable to perform a thorough malware scan using reliable security software.

Download and install Anti-Malware by clicking the button below. After the installation, run a Full scan: this will check all the volumes present in the system, including hidden folders and system files. Scanning will take around 15 minutes.

After the scan, you will see the list of detected malicious and unwanted elements. It is possible to adjust the actions that the antimalware program does to each element: click "Advanced mode" and see the options in the drop-down menus. You can also see extended information about each detection - malware type, effects and potential source of infection.

Click "Clean Now" to start the removal process. Important: removal process may take several minutes when there are a lot of detections. Do not interrupt this process, and you will get your system as clean as new.

Characteristic	Legitimate TextInputHost.exe	Malicious Impostor
File Location	Within Windows SystemApps directory	User folders, temporary directories, or system32 folder
Digital Signature	Signed by Microsoft with valid certificate	Unsigned or signed with invalid/suspicious certificate
Resource Usage	Minimal CPU/GPU usage when idle	Consistently high CPU/GPU usage regardless of input activity
Network Activity	Minimal or no unexpected network connections	Frequent connections to unknown servers
File Size	Consistent with Microsoft’s official file size	May differ significantly from the legitimate file size

Frequently Asked Questions